Let’s Learn!
How do we measure to the nearest quarter of an inch?
Goal:
Goal:
Think About It!
Goal: Recognize quarter inches on a ruler and how to measure to the nearest quarter of an inch.
Zoe grew taller and needs a new uniform! Zoe says that her uniform shirt needs to be about 21 \(\frac{1}{4}\) inches long. How can she find out if this shirt is long enough?
Zoe with the basketball uniform shirt with a measuring tape.
We can measure the length of the uniform shirt to help Zoe! Length is the distance from one end of an item to the other. When we measure clothes, we usually use a measuring tape. A measuring tape is a long, bendable inch ruler! We will still use an inch ruler to measure the lengths of items. So far, we have measured to the nearest inch or half inch. That means we looked for which whole number or half inch line an item was closest to.
Click the box to measure the basketball shoes to the nearest inch and half inch!
Measure the shoe to the nearest inch…
about 6 inches long
The toe of this shoe is between 5 and 6 on the ruler. It is closer to 6. That means this shoe is about 6 inches long!
Measure the shoe to the nearest half inch…
about 5 \(\frac{1}{2}\) inches long
The toe of this shoe is between the half inch line and 6 on the ruler. It is closer to the half inch line. That means this shoe is about 5 \(\frac{1}{2}\) inches long!
We know that measurements aren’t always to the inch or half-inch, and sometimes we need an even smaller measurement than half of an inch! Just like fractions on a number line, an inch on a ruler can be divided into smaller and smaller equal parts. There is a measurement that is even smaller than half of an inch! This measurement is one-quarter of an inch! A quarter of an inch is one fourth of an inch. You know that when you have fourths as a fraction, you have 4 equal parts. This is the same with one-quarter inch measurements! An inch is divided into 4 equal parts in the same way that 4 quarters make 1 dollar or that 4 fourths make one whole when we talk about fractions. We will look at the lines and spaces that show the 4 parts of an inch. These lines include each whole number, the half inch line, and the two quarter inch lines!
A ruler showing the 1 inch marker and the 2 inch marker. The Longest line between the two numbers is the half inch mark. The lines between the half inch line and the one inch line are quarter inch lines.
To measure to the nearest quarter of an inch, look at where the item ends on your ruler. Instead of deciding between two whole numbers and a half inch line, you will decide between one of the whole numbers and one of the quarter inch lines.
Click the box to see how to measure to the quarter of an inch lines!
If the item ends between the first whole number and the quarter inch line, you can put “ \(\frac{1}{4}\) ” next to the first whole number.
About 1 \(\frac{1}{4}\) inches
If the item ends between the \(\frac{1}{4}\) and \(\frac{1}{2}\) lines, you will put “ \(\frac{1}{2}\) ” next to the first whole number.
About 1 \(\frac{1}{2}\) inches
If the item ends between the \(\frac{1}{2}\) inch line and \(\frac{3}{4}\) inch line, you will put “ \(\frac{3}{4}\) ” next to the first whole number.
About 1 \(\frac{3}{4}\) inches
If the item ends between the \(\frac{3}{4}\) inch line and the next whole number inch line, you will just have the next whole number as the measurement.
About 2 inches
Click each row to measure the uniform shorts to the nearest quarter of an inch!
Basketball uniform shorts that measure almost 15 inches.
The left edge of the shorts is lined up with 0, and the right edge is between 14 inches and 15 inches on the ruler!
Since the end is between 14 inches and 15 inches, we need to look closer at the smaller measurements in between. Let's zoom in and take a closer look!
Basketball uniform shorts measure at a closer look the shorts end between the 14 \(\frac{1}{2}\) and 14 \(\frac{3}{4}\)
We can see the \(\frac{1}{4}\) inch line, the \(\frac{1}{2}\) inch line and the \(\frac{3}{4}\) inch lines. Look where the right edge of the shorts ends. The arrow shows that the edge is between the \(\frac{1}{2}\) inch and \(\frac{3}{4}\) inch marks.
Let’s zoom in even more to see which line the arrow is closer to.
Is the right edge of the shorts closer to the \(\frac{1}{2}\) inch or \(\frac{3}{4}\) inch line?
the \(\frac{3}{4}\) mark is circled.
It is closer to the \(\frac{3}{4}\) line!
The basketball shorts that measures about 14 \(\frac{3}{4}\)
about 14 \(\frac{3}{4}\) inches long
To write the length of the shorts, we need to write “about” since the measurement is not exact. Then, we write the whole inches and the fraction measurement. It looks like this:
The shorts are about 14 \(\frac{3}{4}\) inches long.
Let’s use what we just learned to help Zoe measure the uniform shirt to the nearest quarter of an inch!
A basketball uniform shirt that is lined up with the 0
Zoe needs a shirt that is about 21 \(\frac{1}{4}\) inches long. Let’s help her measure. We have the top edge of the shirt lined up with 0 on the left. We need to find where the bottom edge ends to the right. Click the Show Me button to see!
A basketball uniform shirt lined up with the ruler. There is an arrow lining up the shirt with the zero and an arrow lining up the shirt with the 21 \(\frac{1}{4}\).
Since the bottom edge is between 21 and 22 inches, we need to look closer at the smaller measurements in between. Let’s zoom in again and take a closer look!
A basketball uniform shirt lined up with the ruler. There is an arrow lining up the shirt with the zero and an arrow lining up the shirt with the 21 \(\frac{1}{4}\).
We can see the \(\frac{1}{4}\) inch, \(\frac{1}{2}\) inch, and \(\frac{3}{4}\) inch lines. Find where the bottom edge of the shirt ends on the right side of the ruler.
Question
Where does the edge of the shirt end?
A ruler lined up between 21 and \(\frac{1}{4}\) and 21 \(\frac{1}{2}\)
It looks like the shirt ends between the \(\frac{1}{4}\) inch and the \(\frac{1}{2}\) inch line.
A ruler lined up between 21 and \(\frac{1}{4}\) and 21 \(\frac{1}{2}\)
Which line is it closer to? Click the Show Me button to see!
A ruler lined up between 21 and \(\frac{1}{4}\) The \(\frac{1}{4}\) is circled.
The right edge of the shirt is closer to the \(\frac{1}{4}\)
Now we can tell Zoe if this shirt will fit her. Remember, she needs a shirt that is about 21 \(\frac{1}{4}\) inches long!
Question
About how long is the uniform shirt? Will the shirt fit Zoe?
The shirt is about 21 \(\frac{1}{4}\) inches long. This uniform shirt will fit Zoe!
You have learned how to measure to the nearest quarter of an inch to find out about how long something is!